June 15,1921 
Anastatus semiflavidus 
38 i 
through the posterior pair of legs. The ovipositor protruded a short 
distance (fig. 3), and the abdomen moved slowly up and down, forcing 
the ovipositor into the shell of the egg. 
Occasionally the movement was from 
side to side, and there were short inter¬ 
vals of rest. 
After 21 minutes, the opening in the 
egg appeared to be completed and a 
small drop of brownish liquid appeared FlG - 3-—Anastatus semiflavidus: Side view of 
1 • . t t . posterior segments of female abdomen with 
at the point where the ovipositor was extruded ovipositor. Greatly enlarged. 
inserted in the egg. It is impossible to 
state whether this liquid exuded from the female or came from the egg. 
When this operation of drilling an opening in the egg was complete, 
the female turned around and examined the puncture. She appeared to 
be sipping the liquid around the opening in the eggshell or possibly feeding 
on the contents of the egg. The female soon resumed her original position 
and inserted the ovipositor into the egg, nearly full length. The oviposi¬ 
tor was then partly withdrawn and thrust again into the egg. This 
operation was repeated 9 or 10 times. Finally the ovipositor was thrust 
in full length, the female crouched low over the egg, the abdomen, 
meanwhile, was drawn sharply forward, and oviposition apparently 
took place. The female remained quiet, except for a slight movement 
of the abdomen, in this act of oviposition for 2 or 3 minutes. The 
ovipositor was then withdrawn, and the female turned around and 
manipulated the mandibles and antennae in the small drop of liquid 
which remained over the opening in the egg. This liquid soon hardened 
and formed a transparent, light brown, waxy substance which apparently 
sealed the oviposition puncture. After completing oviposition in this 
egg, the female resumed her examination of the remaining eggs in the 
cluster and was observed to oviposit several times during the remainder 
of the day. 
INTERNAL APPEARANCE OR PARASITIZED EGG 
For a long period after oviposition the internal appearance of a para¬ 
sitized egg does not differ from the normal, the contents consisting of a 
reddish brown liquid. The only change apparent, until the parasite 
larva becomes visible, is a slight thickening of the liquid contents. In 
the course of its development, the larva consumes these liquid contents 
and finally occupies about two-thirds of the egg-cavity. Only one larva 
develops in each egg. 
EXTERNAL APPEARANCE OR PARASITIZED EGG 
Superficially the external appearance of a parasitized egg does not differ 
from the normal, there being no change in its color or shape. Microscopic 
